The tulip poplar goes by a few names, including yellow poplar, tulip tree, saddle-leaf tree, and its scientific name, Liriodendron tulipifera. There is also a similar species in China and Vietnam that has the scientific name, Liriodendron chinense. The tulip poplar, related to the magnolia tree, is a hardwood tree native to the eastern regions of the United States, except for the Northwest United States. It also grows in a few regions of Ontario, Canada, including from the Southern shores of Lake Huron, the Northern shores of Lake Erie, and the Niagara Peninsula region.
Given the right conditions, a tulip poplar can grow 150 feet in height or taller. There are records of tulip poplars reaching upwards and above 190 feet in height. On average though, a tulip poplar will be anywhere from 70 to 100 feet in height. Being a quick growing tree, you'll have a good beginning of a shade tree within a few years. What's also good about tulip poplars is that they are long-living and can live for a couple hundred years.
As for the flowers of the tulip poplar, they won't appear until the tree is around fifteen years old. From then on, the flowers will develop in the spring in southern areas and in late spring in northern areas. The flowers are typically yellow but can also be a pale green. The tulip-shaped flowers of the tree are good for attracting bees and if provide an abundance of nectar for bees' production of poplar honey.
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